It'd also cripple L.A.'s salary cap flexibility. Assuming the
salary cap stays around $58.7 million, Kobe himself would take up
more than half of his team's available funds, and limit the
Lakers' chances of signing multiple top-line free agents.

It's a pickle, but there's one obvious way out of it — Kobe takes
a pay cut.

If Kobe, who will be 36 years old going into 2014-15, agreed to a
deal in the $15-20 million per year range, the Lakers would have
a lot more wiggle room.